Goat Milk Soap

September 7, 2016

A bout a year ago dad got an idea. Dad always has the ideas. I don’t know how he got it, but he did. Dad wanted to make soap.

This did not happen immediately.

First we had the garden to look after, and as all you country dwellers know, that’s where all the Saturdays go too. Then, after that we took a vacation. Then school started again. Then we moved. All the while a beautiful five gallon bucket of coconut oil and some other gigantic containers filled with similar substances were sitting out in the shed. (Were currently just about everything is.)

After we got the buckets in, the amounts were carefully weighed and deposited in a bowl, while dad carefully added lye to another bowl containing frozen goats milk (from our friends the Smiths.) in the form of ice cubes, while wearing goggles, of course. As far as scents go, we decided on peppermint and lavender. Peppermint is supposed to be a stress reliever, and is very nourishing for the scalp, and helps fight dandruff. Lavender has the same reliving qualities, and helps relax sore muscles. It also makes hair healthier.

Goat’s milk soap can be used as a shampoo and as a body wash. Really none of us girls even have a need for conditioner, we’ve found that it makes hair limp. The goat milk soap is the only thing we use.

Now, making your own soap is not by any means cheaper than buying commercial soap. It is extremely better for your body, but of course, just like food, you are going to have to pay for quality. The ingredients we used were coconut oil, olive oil, palm oil, (to make suds) goat milk, of course, and essential oils. This recipe that we used we found at “Free Range Mamma”

Ingredients:

Soap in Mold

26.5 oz. olive oil pomace

16.5 oz. coconut oil

10 oz. sustainably sourced Palm Kernal oil.

209 grams lye (see bottom of post )

2.7 oz. essential oils of your choice

20 oz. goat milk frozen in ice cube sized chunks

Directions: prepare your mold. Combine and milt olive oil, coconut oil and palm oil to 115F. VERY slowly, pour measured lye into semi-thawed (slushy) goat milk. Stir constantly. Measure temperature constantly. If milk heats up too fast it will turn orange and scorch, so do this step very slowly. Ideally you will get your lye mixture up to about 115F.

soap after cooling

Combine lye mixture with oils when temperatures are the same (between 105-115F). Using a stick blender, blend combination until product reaches trace. Add any essential oils, dried herbs etc. At trace. Pour into mold and cover with either plastic wrap of cardboard. Cover with towels to keep from cooling too quickly. 24 hours later cut into bars. Set bars on towel in warm, dry location away from direct sunlight. Let them “saponify” for at least 4 weeks. Have fun!!!!!!!!!!

WARNING: lye is very dangerous. WEAR GLOVES AND SAFETY GOGLES. Don’t let small children around it. “IT CAN RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY.”